Farewell to the hero! chapter 52

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As Sehir nodded, Kaindel dismounted too, seemingly planning to survey the area alongside him.

Left alone on horseback, I hesitated, wondering if I should get down too.

Just then, Kaindel, with reins wrapped around one hand, extended his empty hand to me.

“Esh, do you need help getting down…?”

Hearing his voice for the first time in a while made my senses stir.

Even my stomach, which had nothing to do with the situation, felt as if it were pricked by a needle.

Perhaps it was because he called my name with that pleasant low tone that goosebumps instinctively rose.

Rubbing the bristling hair on my arms, I slowly shook my head.

“I can manage on my own now.”

At first, I struggled to dismount without Kaindel’s help, but over time, I grew accustomed.

In fact, during the times when things were a bit strained between us, I had always gotten down on my own, though Kaindel would still hold the reins until I was safely down.

Today, however, given the steep and rocky terrain, it seemed he was genuinely offering to assist. But for me, it was an unnecessary kindness.

When I awkwardly smiled and dismounted on my own, Kaindel hesitated. Then he stood there, silently clenching and unclenching his hand.

A faint wrinkle appeared on his forehead.

Staring down at his hand with a curious expression, he eventually smiled as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Ruen, who had also dismounted, approached us with slow, heavy steps, his face showing signs of exhaustion.

“I feel like having meat today.”

“How do you plan on hunting here? There doesn’t seem to be any rabbits around.”

“Why not? There’s plenty of meat here.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Owen frowned as he surveyed the desolate land.

Seeing nothing but barren ground devoid of life except for a few insects, he clicked his tongue in dismay.

The soil, where even grass struggled to grow, looked completely drained of vitality.

It was understandable that Owen found Ruen’s claim of “plenty of meat” incomprehensible.

I felt the same.

Muttering something to himself, Owen’s face suddenly twisted, turning pale.

His gaze, fixed on Ruen, quivered momentarily.

“Ah, no way.”

Realizing what Ruen was implying, Owen’s shoulders stiffened.

Seeing Owen’s face blanch, Ruen grinned, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

“I heard warbears taste pretty good.”

A warbear was a monster resembling a bear, but with far sharper claws than any black bear one might encounter.

“So, you’re suggesting we hunt monsters for food?”

“Why not? You got a problem with that?”

“A warbear, though?”

“Exactly. They thrive in this kind of terrain. Look, if you have any complaints, feel free to voice them, pampered boy.”

“…No, fine. Never mind.”

Owen, facing Ruen’s confident retort, opened his mouth as if to speak but instead sighed deeply, rubbing his face in disbelief at Ruen’s nonchalant attitude toward eating monsters.

It’s true; the idea of eating a monster was hard to digest.

After all, when the core of a monster breaks, it usually crumbles to ashes.

But how did Ruen intend to consume one?

Pondering this, I idly kicked a pebble by my feet.

As Owen backed down with a disgruntled look, Sehir approached Ruen, who was retrieving a sword from his magical pouch, and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly.

“Alright, then. Ruen and I will go hunting.”

“Do I really have to go with you again?”

“It’s more efficient to hunt warbears together than alone.”

“Tch.”

Unable to withstand Sehir’s gaze, which seemed to say, ‘Isn’t that right?’, Ruen looked away.

Warbears were known to be three times the size of the average man, and perhaps Ruen had concluded that tackling such a beast alone might be too much trouble.

As Ruen fell silent in agreement, Sehir’s smile deepened.

He retrieved a quiver and bow from his pack, then glanced at the others.

“So, shall we regroup here later?”

“There’s a slightly less steep area over there. It might be best to camp there for the night.”

“Over there? Ah, I see.”

At Sehir’s suggestion, Owen pointed to the left, where, as he said, there was a relatively flat area compared to our current location.

Though it was vulnerable due to the open surroundings, it was ideal for setting up camp.

After settling on a meeting point, Sehir matched his stride with Ruen as they set off.

Watching their silhouettes fade into the distance, I looked up at the shadow that fell over me.

Kaindel had approached, standing right in front of me.

He waited until our gazes met before smiling gently.

“Esh, can we talk for a moment?”

The moment I heard that, I had a feeling.

‘So, it’s finally come to this.’

After all this time, he seemed to have waited for the moment when everyone’s attention was elsewhere to have this conversation.

I wanted to escape.

A lump rose in my throat as if I needed to quench a desperate thirst.

For the first time, being alone with Kaindel felt uncomfortable.

I dreaded what he might say next.

But no matter how much you fear something, there are times when you can’t avoid it.

Eventually, I fidgeted and muttered a reply.

“Sure.”

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Kaindel led me a short distance from the camp, though close enough that we’d hear if anything happened.

The proximity to the others made my nerves even more on edge; we could see what was happening there, and they could just as easily see us.

My shoulders tensed, and my voice lowered.

“So, what did you want to say?”

Whenever I was alone with Kaindel, I couldn’t help but recall the moment he confessed by the waterfall.

I wanted to keep this brief and return. I wasn’t ready to hear his answer yet.

He leaned casually against a large rock, arms crossed, tapping his elbows lightly with a slow, thoughtful rhythm.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

Kaindel continued in that posture, his movements deliberate and unhurried.

“Does it bother you that…?”

“But if it does, could you please tell me honestly?”

I immediately understood what he was getting at.

With a faint, cracked smile, Kaindel continued.

“I don’t understand how that would relate to us becoming a couple.”

His gaze shifted slightly, his expression not one of feigned ignorance but rather a genuine, seeking curiosity, like someone searching for an answer.

“We’ve been fine without being a couple, haven’t we?”

“…Kaindel.”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

After steadying my racing thoughts, I finally voiced the question I most needed answered.

“Do I bother you?”

“Yes.”

His immediate, matter-of-fact response made me bite the inside of my cheek.

I forced down the feelings that surged up.

Kaindel’s confession sounded like something he’d been wrestling with for the past three weeks.

He admitted that I did bother him, though he didn’t seem aware of what that meant to me.

“Why?”

Swallowing nervously, I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but my heart pounded erratically.

“Does the reason matter?”

“Yes, to me, it does.”

“That’s… difficult.”

After a pause, his hand moved away, revealing his mouth still curved into a slender, crescent shape, as if tauntingly aware of its own presence.

Unlike me, who was burning up inside, Kaindel seemed perfectly at ease.

Strange, considering he was the one who had suggested talking first.

With not a hint of nervousness, he stepped closer to me.

“Isa.”

“Answer my question first.”

I weakly brushed his hand away as it reached for mine, hiding my oddly tingling hand behind my back.

After spending some time with Kaindel, I had learned his little habits—like how he behaved when trying to escape an uncomfortable situation.

Thanks to that, I no longer froze up like a broken doll every time we touched.

“Until then, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me so casually.”

“…”

“I told you—when you act like this, I get the wrong idea.”

At my warning, he let out a soft laugh.

Glancing down at his hand, which now hovered awkwardly, he ran it down his face in frustration.

As his graceful fingers passed over his lips, I noticed that the gentle curve of his mouth had frozen at some point.

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